In vitro Total Antioxidant Activity and Nitric Oxide Scavenging of Anogeissus latifolia

Anogeissus latifolia (Roxb.Ex DC.) Wall.exGuill. &Perr. (Combretaceae) commonly known as bakli, dhau, dhawa or axle wood is a moderate sized tree characteristic of dry deciduous forests flourishing mainly in India. It is used in traditional systems of medicine to enhance the immune system and in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, diarrhoea, dysuria, cough, colic, snakebite, digestive ailments, skin and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, methanol and water extracts were prepared from powdered bark and leaf of A. latifolia. The extracts were studied for nitric oxide scavenging and total antioxidant activities determined by spectrophotometric technique. The results of this study show that the methanol and water extracts of A. latifolia can be used as an easily accessible source of natural antioxidants.